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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27668324">Ghosts of the past, present and future</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaganSavior/pseuds/NaganSavior'>NaganSavior</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Walking Dead (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - A Christmas Carol Fusion, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Christmas Fluff, Family Feels, Fluff, Inspired by A Christmas Carol, Multi, Realization, Sweet Negan (Walking Dead)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:09:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,915</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27668324</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaganSavior/pseuds/NaganSavior</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Negan is spending his first Christmas locked up in Alexandria's cell, angry and bitter about his situation when some old man appears in front of him and says that he will be visited by three ghosts. The past, present and future.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Carl Grimes/Negan, Daryl Dixon/Negan, Judith Grimes &amp; Negan, Michonne/Negan (Walking Dead), Rick Grimes/Negan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Ghosts of the past, present and future</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was the day before Christmas and Negan was laying on his poor excuse of a bed. The mattress was very thin and it didn't do any good for his back. The weather had grown cold and it was snowing outside of his small window. Luckily they had brought him some extra blankets and he was trying to enjoy the warmth they offered. Rick was dead for some months now and his only visitors were Michonne, Judith, Gabe and Daryl, the last one very rare and he was always angry when he came to bring him his food. Negan was actively trying to piss them all off except from Judith that had been sneaking in secret to see him. She wasn't allowed to do so, especially when Rick was around, but Michonne had her mind elsewhere now to be looking where Judith was all the time.</p>
<p>In Alexandria they had been keeping the time and this was when Christmas would be pre Apocalypse. They had decorated the place and tried to make it as festive as possible. The only thing completely bare was Negan's cell. The only festive thing was a card that Judith had drawn for him with him and her wearing Christmas hats and he even had a long white beard like Santa's that wasn't far from his actual beard since he had ages to shave. Negan picked it up and he felt his eyes tearing up. The prospect of getting out of here, was vanishing with every single day. But he was Negan, he never gave up... Right? He wasn't so sure anymore.</p>
<p>There seemed to be a snowstorm out there and it was pitch black in his cell. He heard a door rattling. It should have to be from the wind. He closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep, when he heard a door opening. Negan jolted up from his bed. No footsteps were heard. But yet he had heard the door opening. Were they trying to prank him as a Christmas joke? To see who would scare the big bad wolf? The door closed again with a slam. What the hell was going on?</p>
<p>Suddenly a lamp got switched on in his cell and there was an old man staring at him. Negan almost had a heart attack.</p>
<p>"Woah!" he exclaimed "Who are you? What are you doing here? "</p>
<p>That man was at least eighty years old and had white hair and beard. He didn't seem faced at all by Negan nor scared. Had he lost his way and somehow made it to his cell? Negan thought. He had never seen this man in his life.</p>
<p>"My name is Hershel" said the man calmly "and no I'm exactly where I wanted to be" he continued.</p>
<p>Was this guy a mind reader as well?</p>
<p>"Ok... " said Negan "and what do you want from me? "</p>
<p>The man stared at him.</p>
<p>"To show you the past, present and future" answered he.</p>
<p>"What are you some sort of magician? " asked Negan confused. What the hell was this guy up to? Was this some kind a joke?</p>
<p>"No" said he without losing his calm. "I won't be the one visiting you, but the ghosts of the past, present and future. One each night, so be prepared for them Negan" said Hershel and suddenly the light was gone and so was the old man.</p>
<p>Was Negan losing his mind? This had to be it. It was the effects of spending so much time alone. There was no such thing as ghosts. He laid back down on his cot and tried to sleep, to forget what had happened. He was tossing and turning ,but he eventually managed it, when some hour later he heard the door opening again. This couldn't be happening, he thought. Suddenly one lamp got switched on again and there was Carl Grimes standing in front of him, wearing his cowboy hat.</p>
<p>Negan let out a gasp. Carl who was definitely dead was standing in front of him, healthy and with his badass missing eye, out in plain sight. Did the Alexandrians found some dope drugs. Because this sure had to be a hallucination.</p>
<p>"Long time no see Negan" Carl said with a small smile playing on his face. "I'm the ghost of the past"</p>
<p>"I'm losing it" Negan muttered.</p>
<p>"You are not" Carl replied with a shrug.</p>
<p>"How can you say that? " demanded Negan "Carl is dead, he got bit"</p>
<p>"Just because people are no longer here, doesn't mean they don't exist" Ghost Carl explained "We have a lot to see and very limited time"</p>
<p>"What are you talking about kid?" Negan said with an exasperated sigh "What to see from inside this cell? "</p>
<p>Carl opened his cell door like it had been unlocked all along and offered him his hand.</p>
<p>"Are you gonna come with me or be as stubborn as I remember? "</p>
<p>Negan stood up and hesitated. This was all just a fantasy, but Carl looked just like how he remembered him.</p>
<p>"Fine, you win" Negan said as he shook his hand.</p>
<p>Suddenly Negan felt like he was flying. Everything was spinning around him and he was seeing colours and whispers, but he couldn't make out what they were saying.</p>
<p>He landed on his butt a bit abruptly.</p>
<p>"Ouch" Negan grumbled and he saw Carl being just fine next to him "you could have warned me"</p>
<p>"Don't act like that Negan. Come on, we will be late"</p>
<p>"Late for what?" Negan thought out loud as he took in the scenery around them. They were at some kind of forest.</p>
<p>Carl showed him the way as they moved deeper into the dark forest. Suddenly they stopped and there was the familiar white RV. Not only that but everyone from Rick's group were on their knees ,shaking and being terrified.</p>
<p>This was the line up.</p>
<p>"Kid..." said Negan whispering as if they could hear them "what is that? "</p>
<p>"They can't see us" Carl answered "this is just a memory"</p>
<p>"Let's meet the man" Negan heard Simon saying. It felt awkward to see him after killing him and this place really.</p>
<p>He and Carl watched as his memory self exited the RV holding Lucille and got ready to kill someone, Abraham and Glenn. He saw himself beating down Abraham and then Daryl had to go punch him. Then he had decided to kill Glenn as well. He felt disgusted by his actions now that he was forced to watch it again. Rick and everyone else were shaking and crying. Maggie looked pale and Negan didn't know then, that she was pregnant at the time.</p>
<p>He saw himself threatening Rick and dragging him to the RV. All this was well known to Negan. He turned to "Carl" that didn't seem faced at all by what they were seeing. The kid was there as well. He had to witness all that and although it seemed necessary at the time, it wasn't anymore. It was too late to fix it though.</p>
<p>"Why did you bring me here?" Negan demanded. He was better being locked up to his cell.</p>
<p>"This is the day that our lives collided" Carl said "and nothing would be the same after that day"</p>
<p>Negan didn't want to look at any of them. Their cries were haunting him. It was rough to see all that again.</p>
<p>"I want to get back to my cell" Negan announced. </p>
<p>"What? Giving up already?" Ghost Carl asked.</p>
<p>"Look kid this is not a joke" Negan said with a growl "bring me back" he demanded.</p>
<p>"We haven't even began yet, Negan" said Carl in a tone that implied he would not take "no" for an answer.</p>
<p>Negan sighed.</p>
<p>"Fine show me whatever else you want" he let out a sigh.</p>
<p>Carl grabbed his hand again and he felt everything spinning.</p>
<p>He and Ghost Carl were at a home.</p>
<p>Rick was laying at the couch, he seemed unconscious and his one eye was swollen. Next to him was a much younger Carl, wearing that cowboy hat he was obsessed with. He had both of his eyes then.</p>
<p>Carl took his jacket off and threw it down. Rick was passed out on the couch.</p>
<p>"I killed three walkers" memory Carl said "they were by the door and they were going to get in, but I lured them away" said he as he was starting to get upset.</p>
<p>"I killed them. I saved you. I didn't forget how to service, while you had us playing farmers. Lucky for us. I don't need you. I don't need you anymore. I can protect myself. You probably can't protect me anyways. You couldn't protect Hershel or Judith or Michonne or Glenn or Maggie or Daryl or mom. You just wanted to plant vegetables. You were their leader and you failed them" Carl shouted as Rick wasn't responding at the couch.</p>
<p>"But now,you are nothing" Carl said as he sat down at the floor by the end of the couch and he cried his eyes out.</p>
<p>Negan was standing frozen and didn't know how to react. He himself had told Rick that he failed Carl by allowing him to get bit, that he wasn't there to prevent him from doing something stupid. He looked at the pitiful picture in front of him of Rick being unconscious and Carl being in that emotional state. He knelt down and went to put his hand on his shoulder, to comfort him.</p>
<p>"You can't comfort him" Ghost Carl muttered behind him.</p>
<p>Negan stopped his hand mid air and he felt it shaking. He stood up and he turned it to a fist. He turned his back on Rick and Carl. He faced Ghost Carl.</p>
<p>"This is not my past" Negan said. He felt like he was invading someone's elses memories. This was between Rick and his son.</p>
<p>"No, it's not, but now you get that you can't always be responsible for someone's else's decisions. Rick wanted to live peacefully. He didn't ask or order anyone to follow him, but it just happened. Like you were forced to lead people. He never wished me to die" Negan felt his eyes tearing up. Of course he didn't. Which father would want his son to get bit? Carl was supposed to outlive them all.</p>
<p>Negan turned once more to the crying Carl and whispered "I'm sorry Carl"</p>
<p>"It's our time to get back" Ghost Carl said. </p>
<p>Negan gave one last look to younger Carl and Rick, before taking "Carl's" hand once more.</p>
<p>He and ghost Carl were back to his cell ,with him behind bars like he had never left. </p>
<p>"I have to go Negan. Tomorrow night you'll get visited by the Ghost of the Present" Carl announced. </p>
<p>Negan looked at him and felt like he would be tearing up. </p>
<p>"I miss you...him...you know what I mean..." Negan mumbled with sadness. </p>
<p>Ghost Carl offered him a small smile. </p>
<p>"Trust me, he knows it and that you cared ,despite not wanting to show it"</p>
<p>Negan felt some relief at that. Didn't want Carl to think bad of him, wherever he was after his death. He would like to think that someone like Carl would end up in heaven. He, on the other hand, would end up in hell, when he eventually died. </p>
<p>He laid back down to his cot and covered himself with the blankets. Felt more light after seeing Carl even if he was in a Ghost form. </p>
<p>---</p>
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